Chapter 36

Elena's smile froze.

“Not moving anymore?”

Richard looked down at her, his voice low and husky, dark intensity swirling in his eyes.

The look in his eyes made Elena's skin prickle. She instinctively tried to pull her foot back.

His grip only tightened.

“Not so brave now.”

Richard tilted his head slightly, his thumb slowly brushing the inside of her ankle.

He felt her body tense.

The faintest curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

“Say it.”

Elena swallowed and forced herself to speak.

“…It hurts a little.”

Her foot didn't actually hurt.

He wasn't gripping her very hard. It was just that the way he'd leaned toward her had her slightly pinned in an uncomfortable position.

Hearing that, Richard paused.

Then he released her and straightened, watching as her slender foot quickly withdrew and hung motionless beside his thigh.

The girl in his arms now sat obediently, looking nothing like the troublemaker she'd been a moment ago.

Tall trees lined both sides of the road, their branches crossing overhead to form a dark tunnel beyond the windows. Patches of light and shadow flickered across their faces as the car moved.

The entrance to the estate appeared at the end of the road.

Richard got out first.

He straightened the hem of his jacket, which had been slightly wrinkled from someone rubbing against it, then turned and held out a hand toward Elena.

She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand in his broad, warm palm.

With a natural upward pull, he helped her out of the car.

The cool night air of early autumn swept across her face.

Elena tidied her slightly messy hair, then looked up.

Her gaze suddenly stopped.

Under the warm yellow glow of the estate's courtyard lights, a circular parking area paved with imported granite sat in the front courtyard.

And parked there was a gleaming black beast of a machine.

Low, sleek, muscular, yet undeniably elegant.

Its aggressive polygonal headlights looked like the narrowed eyes of a predator. The deep-black honeycomb grille dominated almost the entire front end.

A sharp character line ran from the hood all the way toward the rear, creating a sense of coiled power, as though the car could explode into motion at any second.

The flowing Sportback roofline swept smoothly downward toward the wide rear spoiler before meeting the distinctive oval exhaust outlets.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The matte-black paint caught the courtyard lights with a subtle yet dangerous metallic sheen.

An Audi RS7 Sportback.

Her dream car from her previous life.

Elena's breath caught.

She inhaled deeply, blinking several times as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

The mechanical beast she'd watched countless times in videos was now sitting quietly right in front of her.

And, technically speaking, it belonged to her.

“…It's so beautiful.”

The words slipped out in a quiet murmur.

Almost as if pulled forward by an invisible thread, Elena walked toward the car.

She slowly circled the front, her eyes practically devouring every detail she loved.

The sharp, blade-like LED daytime running lights.

The nearly ground-hugging 21-inch black five-double-spoke forged wheels.

The understated silver badge at the rear.

She bent down to examine the polished interior of the oval exhaust outlets, then reached out and almost reverently ran her fingers along the sharp crease across the hood.

The matte paint felt smooth and refined beneath her fingertips, carrying the faint coolness of a brand-new car.

It was almost like touching a tame beast patiently waiting for its owner to inspect it.

“…Let's go.”

Richard's voice came from behind her, carrying a hint of helplessness.

“Oh—coming, coming.”

Elena answered, but she couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off the car.

She reluctantly walked forward two steps.

But before she'd gone three meters, she couldn't resist turning around for another look.

The aggressive headlights seemed almost to be winking at her.

Her feet felt as though invisible magnets had caught them.

Almost without thinking, Elena took two steps back toward the car.

“I just want to look at it one more time. Just once…”

She reached out again, lightly running her fingers along the door handle, then the side mirror, then the sharp character line along the windows.

“It's really mine?”

She turned around and looked up at the man standing on the steps.

Her eyes were shining like two tiny stars.

Richard had remained on the marble steps the entire time.

Hearing her question, he let out a faint sigh.

Buying her a car was nothing to him. He'd only wanted to see the little girl happy for a moment.

He hadn't expected this little cat to become this excited over a cold piece of machinery.

She was so focused and almost reverent, completely unguarded and immersed in her happiness.

For a brief moment—

Richard almost felt jealous.

He was the chairman of the Sterling Consortium, one of the wealthiest men in the city, someone whose name appeared on global wealth rankings.

And today, in his own estate, he'd somehow lost to four interlocking rings?

The thought was ridiculous.

Why would he even compare himself to a car?

And yet—

Perhaps it revealed something.

Maybe he cared about someone more than he'd realized.

He stood there for a few seconds before coming back to himself and looking toward the slender figure in the distance.

“…Elena.”

Richard's voice dropped.

“Huh? Oh!”

Elena answered distractedly.

Her feet were still dragging as she walked, and she kept glancing toward the RS7.

“Coming, coming! I'm coming!”

Even as she said it, she couldn't resist looking back one more time.

Richard: “…”

Fine.

Elena took one step after another toward the stairs, turning her head every few steps.

It was as though the moment the car disappeared from sight, it might vanish like a bubble.

Richard finally couldn't stand it anymore.

He let out a quiet, humorless laugh and strode toward her.

Within a few long steps, he was standing directly in front of her.

“—Huh?!”

Elena was still looking back at the RS7 and hadn't noticed him approaching.

Her view suddenly shifted.

The next second, one powerful arm slipped securely beneath her knees while the other supported her back.

A powerful sensation of weightlessness swept over her.

Elena gasped as both feet left the ground.

She instinctively reached for the nearest thing she could grab—

and ended up clutching Richard's shirt collar.

Richard lifted her effortlessly into his arms, carrying her as easily as if she weighed no more than a bundle of cotton.

“…I can walk!”

Elena's face instantly burned all the way to her neck as she squirmed in his arms, trying to get down.

“Can you?”

Richard looked down at the struggling girl in his arms.

“I don't think so.”

“I can! I can walk! I just hadn't gotten a good enough look…”

“Still not enough?”

Richard raised an eyebrow.

“Should I move the dining table over there so you can have dinner beside the car?”

Elena: “…”

Elena: “You could've just left without me.”

Richard said nothing.

He simply looked at her.

Elena continued struggling in vain.

She wasn't weak, and her core strength was actually quite good. Unfortunately, the arm supporting her waist was as solid as a steel bar.

No matter how much she struggled, the man holding her didn't even seem to breathe any faster.

“You can put—”

Richard suddenly tightened his hold and pulled her closer against his chest.

“If you move again, I'll kiss you.”

Elena froze.